Street-sweeping machine.



PATBNTBD AUG. 2, 1904:

J. P. CLARK. STREET SWEBPING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILE]? JAN. 16. 1904.

2 SHBETSBHEBT 1.

NO MODEL.

No. 766,422. 1 PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

' J. P. CLARK.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 16. 1904.

no MODEL. 2 sums-sum z.

F i m I (Q, 1Q. I

Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 1. CLARK, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

STREET-SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,422, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed January 16, 1904. Serial No. 189,346. (No model.)

To all whom, it 7121/67] concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES P. CLARK, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Street-Sweeping Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street-sweeping machines, special reference being had to that type of street-sweeping machines in which the trash and refuse is swept up by a continuouslyoperating brush and deposited by suitable means in a trash-receptacle forming a part of the machine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in a street-sweeping machine of the type specified improved mechanism for transferring the material gathered by the operation of the brush from the ground to a receptacle carried by the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a street-sweeping machine having a continuously-operative rotary brush and an elevator to convey the trash to a suitable trashreoeptacle means for picking up the material gathered by the brush and depositing it in the boot of the elevator, whence it may be carried to the trash-receptacle.

\Vith the objects above mentioned and others in view, which will appear as the invention is more fully disclosed, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a street-sweeping machine as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which I have illustrated the preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being understood that minor changes in the details-of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine, showing the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the elevator and the shovel for depositing trash thereon. Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation of the lower portion of the elevator and the shovel associated therewith, different positions of the shovel being shown to illustrate the operation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughout, B designates the bed of the machine, which is mounted, as usual, upon wheels \V and \V', the rear wheels WV being driving-wheels, by means of which power is imparted to the mechanism for operating the rotary brush, the elevator, and other parts of the machine The machine is provided with a tongue T or other suitable draft device in order that draft-animals may be attached thereto, and on top of the bed B there is supported at the front a trash-receptaele B, into which the trash gathered by the rotary brush is deposited by the other mechanism of the machine. The seat S for the driver is preferably mounted on the top of the trash-receptacle, as shown.

The wheels 7 are rigidly attached to an axle 1, to which is also rigidly secured a sprocket-wheel 2, of moderately large diameter, as shown in 1. from the sprocket-wheel 2, also travels over a smaller sprocket-wheel 4, supported on ashaft 5, which rotates in bearings afforded by two arched frame members 6. The shaft 5 also bears at its opposite end a gear-wheel '7, which meshes with a smaller gear-wheel 8, mounted upon a shaft 9, journaled in the frame members 6 and having rigidly attached thereto a sprocket-wheelQ. The sprocket-wheel9 imparts movement to an endless chain 10, which also travels over a sprocket-wheel 11, mounted upon a shaft 12, which carries a cylindrical brush 13. The shaft 12 is disposed beneath the axle 1 and is supported by arms 14:, pivotally attached to the bed of the machine, as shown at 15, at which points the arched frames 6 are also secured. is supported by a link 16, suspended from an arm 17, rigidly attached to a shaft 18, journaled in suitable bearings upon the bed of the machine. The shaft 18 has attached thereto and disposed at right angles to the arms 17 A chain 3, passing.

Each of the members 14 another arm 19, from which a rod 20 extends toward the front of the machine, where it is connected with a lever 21, arranged for movement along a curved rack 22. By means of the arms 14:, links 16, and the rock-shaft 18, with the connections thereto, the movement of the lever 21 will raise or lower the brush 13, so that it will come into contact with the ground or not, at the'will of the operator of the machine.

The shaft 5, upon which the sprocket-wheel 4 is mounted, forms the upper shaft of an endless conveyer 28, which is preferably of the chain-and-bucket type, as shown, and which is arranged to travel in a frame 24:, whose lower end is formed into aboot 25. The lower shaft of the conveyer is shown at 26 and is rotatably mounted in the lower ends of the arched frame members 6. The shaft 26 is rotated by the travel of the conveyer and is provided at its ends with cranks 27, which are parallel and are pivotally connected with bars 28, pivoted at the sides of a shovel 29, which is arranged for movement along guide members 30, attached to the sides of the conveyerframe and extended rearward and downward therefrom to afford support for the shovel. The rear portions of the guide members 30 are pivoted for movement in a verticalplane, as shown, so that if the machine passes over any surface irregularities the members 30 may be moved upward thereby and be uninjured. The shovel 29 is of such dimensions that when the arms and cranks connected therewith are alined, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shovel will be moved rearward until its rear edge is substantially under the brush-shaft 12. This marks the limit of the rearward movement of the shovel, and as the cranks turn in the direction indicated by the arrows the shovel will be drawn forward along the guide members 30 until the heel of the shovel engages with the boot of the conveyer. I Then the shovel will be gradually tilted, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, until the trash in the shovel is deposited in the boot of the conveyer, Where it may be engaged by the buckets of the conveyer. The continued movement of the cranks will then lower the shovel again until it rests upon the guide members 30 and will then push it gently backward until its rear edge is substantially under the shaft 12, supporting the brush, at which point the cycle of operations is assumed to begin.

As will be clearly seen from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, the machine is simple in construction and the mechanism for picking up and depositing the trash is positive and efiicient in action, the shovel being moved slowly rearward until its rear edge has passed under the brush, so as to pick up all the accumulated trash, and then being slowly retracted until its heel encounters the boot of the elevator, when it is tilted sufliciently to deposit the trash in the elevator-boot, whence it may be removed by the elevator-buckets and deposited in the trashreceptacle at the front of the machine.

Having thus described the construction and use of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

1. In a street-sweeping machine, acontinuously-operative brush, a trash-elevator, and means disposed between the elevator and the brush for periodically lifting the trash accumulated by the brush and depositing it on said elevator, said means being operated by said elevator.

2. In a street-sweeping machine, a continuously-operative brush, a trash-elevator comprising a stationary frame, an endless carrier arranged in said frame and revolving shafts upon which said carrier is supported, crankarms attached to one of said shafts, a shovel operatively connected with said crank-arms and disposed between said elevator and said brush and means for bringing said shovel into contact with the elevator-frame upon its rearward movement to effect the tilting of the shovel.

3. In a street-sweeping machine, a continuously-operative brush, a trash-elevator in front of said brush and spaced therefrom, guide members extending from said elevator toward said brush, a shovel arranged for sliding movement along said guides, and means for periodically advancing said shovel toward said brush to lift the trash accumulatedthereby, then retracting said shovel along said guides, tilting it, and depositing the contents thereof upon said elevator. v

4. In a street-sweeping machine, a continuously-operative brush, a frame disposed in front of said brush, guide members projecting rearwardly from said frame, a shovel arranged for sliding movement on said guide members, automatic mechanism for periodically projecting said shovel toward and beneath said brush and retracting it, and a structure adapted for engagement with said shovel upon its retractive movement to tilt it and deposit the contents thereof.

5. In a street-sweeping machine, a continuously-operative brush, a trash-elevator having a boot at the lower end, guide members extending from said'boot toward said brush, a shovel arranged for sliding movement on said guide members, and means for periodically advancing said shovel toward said brush to lift the trash accumulated thereby, then retracting said shovel until the heel thereof contacts with said boot and causes said brush to swing upward and deposit the material lifted thereby in said boot.

6. In a street-sweeping machine, a continuously -operative brush, means for adjusting said brush relatively to the surface swept, a trash-elevator in front of said brush and spaced IIO therefrom; a shovel arranged between said my own I have hereto affixed my signature in brush and Isaid elevator, ancllmearkils for aclvancthe presence of tWo Witnesses. ing saic s ove until the ec ge t ereof passes v r beneath said brush, then retracting said shovel JAMES CLARK 5 and tilting it to deposit the contents thereof W'itnesses:

upon said elevator. B. J. MITCHELL,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as J. FRANK THOMAS. 

